UK Chancellor announces intellectual property study

The Chancellor of the Exchequer for the UK has announced a broad study of …

The United Kingdom's Chancellor of the Exchequer, Gordon Brown, has commissioned a study on intellectual property rights. The study will be led by Andrew Gowers, the former editor of the Financial Times.

The study will look at all aspects of IP rights, particularly digital rights. The stated aim is to "modernize copyright and other forms of intellectual property so that they are appropriate for the digital age." This would involve looking not only at digital rights management (DRM) laws but also hotly-contested ideas about digital IP, including software patents.

The study aims to look at:

The way in which Government administers the awarding of IP and their support to consumers and business

How well businesses are able to negotiate the complexity and expense of the copyright and patent system, including copyright and patent licensing arrangements, litigation and enforcement

Whether the current technical and legal IP infringement framework reflects the digital environment, and whether provisions for "fair use" by citizens are reasonable.

Andrew Gowers was quoted as saying:

"I believe that Intellectual Property is at the heart of Britain's success in the knowledge economy. This review will ensure that we maintain a world-class environment for creativity, design and innovation."

Software patents and DRM laws are hot-button issues that continue to raise controversy around the world. The EU, after a long and bitter debate, voted to reject software patents despite years of lobbying from companies such as Microsoft, Nokia, Siemens, and a number of others. In theory, the UK study could lead to the establishment of software patent laws for Great Britain. The UK first raised the issue of software patents in 2001 and concluded that changes to the existing laws were needed.

The review will be commissioned by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his Pre Budget Report and will run for 12 months.